My daughter is in AP chem and is thinking an A is unlikely. She thinks she can probably get B’s. Would it be better to get a B in AP Chem or switch into AICE Marine or AP Enviro where she can probably get A’s?
B in AP chemistry (one of the hardest APs) is better, especially if she’s looking at STEM.
What major is she thinking of?
She really has no idea . Probably not chem, lol
Is she thinking of anything like premed, engineering…? or is she interested in international relations, marketing, finance…?
What sciences has she already taken?
So far she took honors bio and honors chemistry. She is a very strong math student but doesn’t love the sciences. She could do business, or computer science. She really is just completely undecided.
Well, she definitely doesn’t need AP Chem to get into UF - and, A’s are better. Both of my daughters got into UF (one an Engineering major) without AP Chem. They each took AP Bio and AP Physics. So, an AP science class is a good idea, as many applicants will have at least one.
Could she switch to Physics (either honors or AP Physics 1 - or even regular, with APES added for GPA purpose)?
Having the “trifecta+”* is good, especially if students are undecided.
While AP Chem, specifically, is not needed, replacing it with AICE Marine Science or APES would likely make her less competitive for UF and would likely mean difficulties in the first year weedout science courses.
(* Bio, Chem, Physics + one of these as an AP - UNLESS one is applying as a Humanities/Social Science major, in which case APES as the senior year science is 100% acceptable. APES can also be taken as an “elective” in addition to Physics or in addition to a “core” science AP.
Yes major doesn’t matter for admission but to survive weedout classes as a science major you need to be as prepared as everyone else 
Our school has AICE Physics. We don’t have AP. AICE is weighted the same as AP when UF recalculates GPA. I think she wants to take something easier than AP Chem. She is stressed out.
AICE Physics would be fine. Is that an option?
(AP Chem really is one of the hardest AP’s out there).
@flprepaidmom getting an A in AICE MARINE is better. We spoke to the admission people at UF regarding AP stats vs AP Calc. What they said IB AICE AP DE are counted as the same rigor. He said they are not able to look at a micro level of the classes. It’s impossible. They look at how many college level courses but not at which one it is. He said it would take 9 months to do that with 45k applications. Get the A in AICE and it’s a science with rigor
Thanks everyone for your input. I moved her to AICE Marine. Another AP class is way too much. She now has 3AP and 2AICE. If necessary she will do AP Bio next year. Putting mental health above rigor on this one. But she still gets the college credit and the 5.0 for AICE for her UF recalculated GPA. Hopefully we won’t regret it.
@flprepaidmom is your child going for the AICE diploma? in my daughters school almost everyone takes the AICE Marine class
No. Our school just started the aice diploma. It was too late for her.
School won’t let her switch to AICE Marine. She can take AP Bio or AP enviro online at FLVS. Opinions?
Then APES.
A B is a thing, mental health is another entirely.
APES is one of the easiest ap’s, she’ll still get the extra weighting, and while it’s an elective not a core science, she can just make sure she takes a core science senior year if she figures she’s aiming for a STEM major . Look at the Physics offerings for senior year.
UF Admissions works like an assembly line. Each agent checks an element, they never see the full application: 5 academic courses per year? how many honors/accelerated? How many AP/AICE/IB/DE? Foreign Language through what level? Precalculus? Calculus? Bio/chem/physics? Reweighted GPA? ACT?
Then, there’s the matter of succeeding once you’ve you’ve gotten in, especially in all the STEM majors. Engineering or Physics majors who haven’t taken physics in high school, pre-meds who have not taken AP Bio & AP Chem
@flprepaidmom I don’t think that a B in AP Chem is going to eliminate her from UF consideration. Nor will not taking AP Chem.
It sounds like the bigger concern is that all of this is stressful for your daughter. Maybe she needs to decrease the rigor and focus on mental health, as you said.
As far as FLVS goes, my senior is taking AP Calc BC on FLVS now and took two APs last year. He scored 5s on both last year, so he obviously learned the material through that program. It may not be for everyone, have to be a self-starter and keep up. The teacher does bird-dog them and the system requires consistently making progress or they get alerted and eventually dropped if progress is not made.
Since UF has a lot of online classes, it can be helpful for a student to get exposed to this method of learning during high school. My older son is a Sophomore at UF and about half of his classes the first two years are online or hybrid, but the amount of online classes does depend on major being pursued. So, every student’s experience will be different.
AP enviro it is! She is so happy and relieved. She can take AP Bio next year if she decides to. She also has last period free now. I don’t think she is looking at a stem major right now but she really is completely undecided. This will open her up to having some more free time which she desperately needs.